Movable partition structures



April 23, l958 B. D. MALONE, JR 3,378,951

MOVABLB PARTITION STRUCTURES Filed Jan. 23, 1967 1N VENTOR Ben/'amm D. Illa/one, ./r.

BY wwf/ ATTORNEY United States Patent O anta/s, 1967, ser.

ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE In a movable partition structure, the combination of a plurality of movably mounted vertical panels having abutting side edges when in their partition forming position, each of said panels comprising at least one panel member consisting of a pair of fiat skins of hard nonporous material having good sound reflecting properties and a surface capable of use as a chalk board, a core of low density cellular sound absorbing material sandwiched between said skins and having the skins adhesively bonded to opposite sides thereof, a perimetric metallic frame surrounding said panel, and a layer of a soft latex composition bonding said frame to said core and to said skins, whereby to provide a non-rigid connection between the skins and attenuate transmission of sound energy through the frame from one skin to the other, said frame consisting of frame members each having an angulated crosssection providing bathing and sound retiecting portions angrilarly offset from a normal plane traversing said panel.

Each of said panels also includes a second panel member of the same construction as the first mentioned panel member and disposed in spaced parallel relation thereto, spacer means separating the first and second panel members, and an insulating blanket of porous sound-'absorbing material provided in the space between said panel members, said metallic frame being sufficiently wide to span both panel members and the insulating blanket therebetween.

This applicatiin is a continuation-in-part of my copending United States application Ser. No, 370,873, filed May 28, 1964, now Patent No. 3,309,816, dated Mar. 2l, 1967.

My aforementioned patent discloses a movable partitionstructure comprising a group of vertical panels eX- tending from tioor to ceiling, .together with a tioor track, an overhead or ceiling track, and roller means on the panels in engagement with the tracks, whereby the panels may be disposed in a wall-to-wall partition forming position wherein they are coplanar and have their side edges in abutment, or whereby the panels may be moved to a laterally stacked storage position at one side of the room. Also, my earlier application discloses a particular track arrangement cooperating with a particular arrangement of the roller means on the panels, as well as particular gasket .means for sealing the panels at their abutting side edges and at the floor and ceiling tracks, in the partition forming position of the panels.

Within the framework of this particular environment, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a panel construction having a surface which is sufiiciently flat, dense, rigid, and of such hardness, texture and durability that it may be utilized as an instruction aid or a teaching surface, a-s in writing thereon with chalk, and at the same time possess the sound attenuating qualities which the partition demands.

Another object of the invention is to provide a panel construction composed of such materials and assembled in such manner as to be virtually free of warping, winding, twisting, buckling or any other distortion of fiatness of its surface, yall to .such a degree that the function for which it is intended is not impaired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a panel construction including a metal frame which is specifically designed to serve as an edge binder for components of the panel, a retainer for sealing gaskets, a support for stabilizing rollers, and an interlock for lateral rigidity of panels in their partition forming position.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like pants, and wherein:

yFIGURE l is an elevational view showing a group of panels in their partition forming position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary horizontal sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2 2 in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional detail, similar to that shown in FIGURE 2, but illustrating a modified panel construction.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 generally shows a movable structure correspending t-o that disclosed in my aforementioned Patent No. 3,309,816, the same including a group of vertical, individually movable panels 10 extending from the floor to the ceiling and coacting with a pair of fixed side panels 11 at the side walls 12 of a room to provide a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling partition when the panels are coplanar `and have their side edges in abutment. The movable panels 10 are provided at their lower edges with rollers 13 cooperating with a floor track 14, and at the upper edges with rollers or trolleys 15 cooperating with an overhead track or ceiling track 16, and gasket means (not shown herein) are provided for sealing the panels at their abutting side edges and at the floor and ceiling tracks, all as disclosed in detail in my aforementioned patent. Similarly, latch means 17 actuated by a control 18 arep rovided for releaseably locking the panels in the partition forming position, the side edges of the panels being especiaily shaped for interlocking and lateral rigidity of panels in the partition, also as disclosed in my aforesaid patent, so that a repetition of such disclosure in this applic-ation is not necessary.

As already indicated, the present invention deals privmarily with the panel construction itself, and FIGURE 2 illustrates a cross-section typical of the panels 1t), 11.

The panel 1Q' as shown in FIGURE 2 may have a nominal thickness of approximately 3 inches and comprises two outer skins 20 with a core 21 sandwiched therebetween. rThe skins Ztl, which may be on the order of approximately 1/s thick, consist of a rigid, tough, fibrous composition such as the ligneous material sold under the trademark Masonite by the Masonite Corporation, or they may bc a similar rigid, tough, fibrous but more brittle composition of mineral fibers such as Flexboard asbestos fiber panelling Isold by Iohns-Manville Corporation. Yet another suitable skin material is an asbestos fiber similar to Flexboard but with a color impregnated surface, mat finish, sold as Glasweld by U.S. Plywood Corporation. Such material is suitable for use in the environment of the invention as an instruction or teaching aid, since it may be written upon with ordinary chalk which is easily erased. Moreover, another material capable of use as panel skin to be written on with chalk is porcelainized steel sheet, approximately 24 gauge with a mat finish, such as is used in conventional chalk boards. Gf course, other similar materials provided with surface finishes suitable for chalk writing, sheet vinyl, and wood veneers may also be used as skins of the panel.

The core 21 is semi-rigid and of sufficient thickness to coact with the skins Z@ in providing the approximate 3 inch thickness of the assembled panel. As such, the core 21 preferably consists of low density, foamed synthetic resin, one example of such material being foamed polystyrene made by polymerising a hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon having a vinyl radical on an aromatic nucleus and including the products resulting from polymerization of styrene, monomethylstyrene and di-methylstyrene, vinyl naphthalene and a halogenated styrene. Normal density of this foamed core material should preferably be maintained at two pounds per cubic foot. Certain other materials may also be used for the panel core, as for example, any of the several foamed phenolic resins. The skins Ztl are bonded to opposite side surfaces of the core 21 by a suitable adhesive, and after the bonded panel is cut to appropriate size, it is edged at the upper, lower and both side edges thereof with a metal frame, as for example, of extruded aluminum,

indicated generally at Z2. The upper, lower and side members of the metal frame are of different cross-sectional configurations as shown in detail in my Patent No. 3,309,816, the several frame members being especially designed so as to provide for interlocking of side edges of adjacent panels; to support rollers at the lower and upper edges of the panels for coaction with the respective floor and ceiling tracks; and to mount gasket means for sealing the panels at their abutting side edges and at the iloor and ceiling tracks, all as specifically detailed in the aforesaid Patent No. 3,309,816. In view of that earlier disclosure, the present application merely shows the typical frame member 22 at one side edge of the panel, it being understood that other frame members of a different cross-section exist at the top, bottom and other side edge of the panel, and that such frame members are secured together at the four corners of the panel by any suitable means, as for example by screws.

The several frame members 22 are bonded to the panel laminae 2G, 21 by a layer of soft latex composition 2.3 which additionally `serves as sound insulating means whereby sound frequency vibrations set up by impingment of sound waves on one surface of the panel are discouraged from their tendency to telegraph through the metal frame members to the opposite surfaces of the panel by the non-rigid, interposing latex layer 23.

The panel structure as shown in FIGURE 2 represents a relatively simple, light-weight construction which may be used in full wall width and full wall height partitions with relatively light structural support, yet with good sound attenuating properties. A somewhat more complicated, modified panel structure 10a is shown in FIGURE 3 ,where even greater sound attenuating properties are attained.

The overall nominal thickness of the panel 10a in FIG- URE 3 is again approximately 3 inches, but in this instance the panel is composed of two outer panel members 24 having an insulating blanket 25 sandwiched therebetween. Nominally, each of the panel members 24 may be l inch thick and the blanket 25 may also be 1 inch thick, thus making up the nominal 3 inch thickness of the panel.

Apart from its l inch thickness, as distinguished from a 3 inch thickness, each of the outer panel members 24 is of the same construction as the panel lil of FlGURE 2, in that it comprises a pair of skins 2t) bonded to an intermediate core 21, as has been already explained in detail. The two panel members 24 are spaced apart by a perimetrically extending spacer 26` of wood, or the like, and the space between the panel members thus provided by the spacer accommodates the insulating blanket 25. The latter may consist of glass fiber filaments, such as sold under the name Microlite by Iohns-Manville Corporation, although any other suitable insulating material may be used.

Again, it is to be noted that the panel 10a is perimetrically edged by the frame 22. which is bonded thereto by the soft latex composition 23, which, in this istance, also serves to secure the spacer 26 between the panel members 24, as will be apparent from FGURE 3.

A brief discussion may be added concerning sound attenuating characteristics of the partition structure. Generally speaking, sound may pass through a wall by either or both (l) vibration of the wall itself brought about by airborne sound waves impinging upon the wall surface at one side, which vibration reproduces sound waves at the other side with a reduction of energy in the process being the attenuation, and (2) airborne sound continuing through cracks at the sides, top and bottom of the wall panels, if passage of air through such cracks is not sealed off, as by effective gasketing.

Reproduction of vibration as in (l) may be restricted by use of material having (a) a low response to vibration due to mass, or (b) a low response to vibration due to limpness, or (c) porosity and absorbancy of sound wave energy, or (d) reverberation for bouncing olf a Substantial portion of all airborne sound energy.

In order for the panel structure of the invention to attain the dual purpose of providing a chal-k board and adequate sound attenuation, some combination of the characteristics listed in (a), (b), (c) and (d) in a sufllcient degree must be evolved, starting with the chalk board surface itself.

Since the chalk board surface must be flat and hard, it is necessarily stiff and therefore does not have a limpness for low response to vibration as in (b). However, some attenuation is attained under (a) to an extent proportionate to mass or weight of the panel structure. Attenuation by absorbancy under (c) is exploited fully in the compound panel of FiG. 3 by the insulating blanket 25 between the panel members 24 of the compound panel. Here, it is obvious that by utilizing the two panel members 24 which are not rigidly connected together, sound energy passing through one panel member must become airborne before reaching the other panel member, and hence effective sound attenuation is attained by the provision of the porous insulating blanket between the two members. In addition, attenuation by reverberation is fully utilized, as in (d), in that the still?, dense, nonporous chalk board surfaces reflect or bounce off much more of impinging sound energy than a softer or porous material would do. Accordingly, a larger portion of the sound energy is reflected upon initial impingement and that, which through vibration is transmitted to the inside of the panel, is again airborne and loses some of its er1- ergy in passing through the insulating blanket before impining upon the hard stiff second inner surface. Again, a portion of the reduced sound energy is reilected, this time back into the blanket where it is partially absorbed. The remaining energy, now substantially reduced, is transmitted by vibration through the second chalk board surface and enters the room at the opposite side of the partition in a greatly attenuated condition.

As to passage of airborne sound through cracks around the edges of the panel mentioned in (2), since airborne sound loses a part of its energy through reflection from an impinged surface, it follows that if the cracks at the edges of the panel are angulated rather than transversely straight, reflection will occur at each turn of the crack. Thus, since the metal frame members 22 at the edges of the panels have an angulated cross-section for purposes of interlock between adjacent panels, such angulated cross-section of the frame members also serves to provide baffles or barriers in the cracks, by which sound reflection and attenuation will be produced.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a movable partition structure, the combination of a plurality of movably mounted vertical panels having abutting side edges when in their partition forming position, each of said panels comprising at least one panel member consisting of a pair of ilat skins of hard nonporous material having good sound reflecting properties and a surface capable of use as a chalk board, a core of `low density cellular sound absorbing material sandwiched between said skins and having the skins adhesively bonded to opposite sides thereof, a perimetric metallic frame surrounding said panel, and a layer of a soft latex composition bonding said frame to said core and to said skins, whereby to provide a non-rigid connection between the skins and attenuate transmission of sound energy through the frame from one skin to the other, said frame consisting of frame members each having an angulated cross-section providing baffling and sound reflecting portions angularly olset from a normal plane traversing said panel; each of said panels also including a second panel member of the same construction as the first mentioned panel member and disposed in spaced parallel relation thereto, spacer means separating the rst and second panel members, and an insulating blanket of porous sound-absorbing material provided in the space between said panel members, said metallic frame being sufficiently wide to span both panel members and the insulating blanket therebetween.

2. The structure as dened in claim 1 wherein said soft latex composition bonding said frame to said panel also serves to provide a non-rigid connection between said first and second panel members to attenuate transmission of sound energy through the frame from one panel member to the other.

3. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said spacer means comprises a spacer strip interposed between the rst and second panel members adjacent said frame,

said soft latex composition also bonding said spacer strip to said panel members and to said frame.

4. A movable partition panel, comprising in combnation a pair of psaced juxtaposed panel members each consisting of a pair of skins of rigid board and a core of low density foamed synthetic resin sandwiched between said skins, spacer means separating said panel members, a blanket of glass fiber elements filling 'the space between said panel members, a perimetric frame of extruded metal surrounding said panel members and said blanket, and a soft latex composition bonding said frame to said panel members.

5. The structure as dened in claim 4 wherein said frame consists of frame members each. having an angulated cross-section providing baling and sound reflecting portions angularly oiTset from a normal plane traversing said panel, said frame members further providing for the attachment of gasketing suitable for the further attenuation of ambient sound.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,295,283 1/1967 Griith et al. 52-616 X 887,912 5/1908 Bokor 52-404 2,303,125 11/1942 Knight 52-624 X 2,465,603 3/ 1949 Patchen 52-4615 X 2,757,116 7/1956 Clements 52-615 X 2,890,977 6/ 1959 Bayer et al. 52-627 X 2,925,633 2/1960 Morgan et al. 52-309 3,113,401 12/1963 Rose 52-615 X 3,196,499 7/ 1965 Hourener 52-621 3,219,383 11/1965 Nerern 52--270 X 3,235,915 2/1966 Glaser 52-64 3,236,014 2/1966 Edgar 52-270 2,838,592 6/1958 Feketics 52-'619 X DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. D. L. TAYLOR, Examiner. 

